What kind of non-flavor text are you expecting?
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okeefeMar 2 '14 at 17:51

I dunno. Addiction rules perhaps? Prices? Mechanical effects of whatever I'm smoking? List of things that he could be smoking?
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CobaltMar 2 '14 at 17:52

5

You're looking for rules for addiction and addictive substances, but dismiss the only rule set that deals with this (in the Book of Vile Darkness). So I don't really get what you're looking for. Besides the addictions, the rest of the questions are negligible (there would be no "mechanical effects" except maybe after smoking for several decades or if you had magical tobacco or something).
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asteriMar 2 '14 at 18:23

Since you want "hobbit-like weed", you should reduce wisdom. For as is well-known, hobbit leaf clouds your mind. Also, as everybody knows, hobbits are neiher well-known for being great warriors, nor for being particulary wise.
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DamonMar 3 '14 at 10:15

5 Answers
5

As far as effects, they don't directly exist for tobacco. You have already disregarded the main source (BoVD), and I would agree for 2 reasons.

Most civilizations don't make tobacco illegal

I've never smoked tobacco that potent that a saving throw would have been required to avoid negative effects.

However, if you want some mechanical impact and not just flavor, you could look at some of the weaker alcohols present in the game to see what kind of FDC you'd need to avoid "addiction". Again, tobacco addiction isn't the worst so even if you are forced 2 days without the worst thing to happen is you'll probably be a bit snippy with people (-1 or -2 on diplomacy cks?)

I like the feel you're going for for this character but I'd probably just stick to knowing the price and maybe going with what @Cow of Doom said as far as giving people a chance to notice hiding based on smell. (not guaranteed, but if they fail spot/listen maybe they can have a "Scent" check (Wis roll +1-+5 modifier depending on strength of tobacco smoked and last time it was smoked.) BTW, pipe tobacco does have a MUCH stronger scent than regular rolled tobacco.

Sidenote: possible "flavor" text, wiz/sor casting prestidigitation could alter the flavor of tobacco making it have a unique flavor!..the possibilities are endless, but it would definately increases the cost of tobacco if purchased that way. However, your party member could always burn a 0-lvl spell at the end of the day for you! (Side benefit for party members, it makes a nice aroma which is way more appealing that burning regular tobacco!)

Eh, regarding “great age,” he’s already venerable, but as a dragon he doesn’t suffer any penalties for that, so it’s a toss-up whether smoking for all those years would have had any effect. I’d guess not.
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KRyanMar 2 '14 at 20:07

You could make it a FLAW as well, you know? Like, "-1 to Diplomacy at all times" (you reek of tobacco when you smoke, you get easily annoyed when you don't) + "-2 to enemy's Spot DC when using the Scent ability". Add this to the flavory parts from the others' answers, and you'll get a real solid idea for the character's habit 8)

Some things are better left as flavour. Unless you want to add in some rules on how smoking has benefits, it's better to leave it simply as something the character does. Otherwise you're penalising the player for making their character a bit more interesting.

It would have to be house ruling. An addiction type of character trait could be interesting. If say, he didn't smoke for a few hours he started taking a -1 penalty to CHA based checks (I smoke, and I get irritable when I am having a nicotine fit.) After satisfying his addiction for the next few hours he gets a +1 vs. fear effects, as his nerves have calmed down. It shouldn't be tremendously detrimental nor significantly boosting, as it is strictly adding flavor to the role-playing.

-Elminster in Forgotten Realms has what is essentially an "ever-burning pipe."
-Gandalf in Lord of the Rings was constantly smoking his pipe.

Now for long term effects, you could look at what the bonuses that the Endurance feat give, and decide to give a small penalty to all of those effects that Endurance enhances. A smoker, in essence, should have a harder amount of time holding his breathing, swimming, forced marching, etc.